Family apartments to be constructed in jails in prisoners

Published: Wednesday, October 3, 2007, 20:35 [IST]

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Amritsar, Oct 3 (UNI) Disciplined prisoners and undertrials will be allowed to stay with their families as the Punjab government proposes to construct family apartments inside premises of all district jails in the state.

Small sized two room family apartments would be constructed inside jails where prisoners having good conduct would be allowed to stay with their families for a week, Tourism and Jails Minister Hira Singh Gabria said here today.

He disclosed that the government was drafting a new jail policy under which centers for vocational training would be established inside the permises of all prisons. These will impart skill training to the prisoners, he added.

He said that jails are 'Sudhar Ghars' where inmates should be treated like normal human beings. A condusive atmosphere is needed to help prisoners become good citizens, he added.

A lively atmosphere must be created in the jails with facilities like open air theater, play grounds, better health facilities and place for worship and meditation, he added.

The government proposes a jail-industry linkage, under which prisoners would be trained in various trades or skills. This would assure the prisoners of minimum wages, with half the amount going into the jail inmates accounts and the remaining being handed over to the jail authorities for maintainence work, he said.

The government has decided to setup modern jails with a capacity of 2500 to 3000 each, he said. He said that the new building of Ropar jail will be completed by end of this year, while the Nabha jail will be competed by March next year.

The Minister has already directed the Jail Superintendents to start 'Sangat Darshan' programmes for jail inmates, so that their problems would be readdressed. He also announced a grant of Rs one lakh for Amritsar Central Jail.